Girardi, 54, erstwhile all-star catcher and winner of 988 games in 11 seasons as major league manager — featuring the 2009 World Series Championship overseeing the New York Yankees — spoke with members of the media before serving as keynote speaker for the fifth annual induction ceremonies at Double Tree by Hilton in Binghamton.

Q: What was the message to the students at Chenango Valley High, where he spoke earlier Monday?

JG: “Take care of each other, protect each other. There are a lot of temptations in this world and you have an opportunity to protect each other and help each other make the right decisions.

“The other thing is, use your brain and follow your passions. Your passions may be different than what other kids do or what your parents are accustomed to, but you need to follow your passions. Because if you don’t follow your passions, you won’t love what you do and you won’t have an energy for what you do.”

Q: With your managing days over, what do your days consist of?

JG: “I don’t consider them over, I consider myself on a sabbatical. I work for MLB as an analyst, I work for FOX as an analyst, but most of my time is being a husband and a father, and I really enjoy it. I’ve gotten a chance to catch up on a lot of things that I missed because I was away so much. So, I’ve really enjoyed that and I will continue to do that.”

Q: Greatest professional achievement?

JG: “I think the most important job for any coach is to get the most out of their players, put them in situations to be successful. You understand who they are, you understand their makeup, their physical talents and you put them in situations to be successful.

“My favorite thing as a coach is seeing players be successful, whether it was a rookie coming up and getting his first hit or was it a guy like Mike Mussina, his last year winning 20 games — the only year he won 20 games — it’s really enjoyable to watch.”

JG: “I think managing has been my favorite. Playing is a struggle in the game of baseball. You think about as a hitter, if you’re successful 30 percent of the time you’re great. Most of us don’t ever achieve that so we’re failing a lot. As a manager I really enjoyed the strategy of it, the strategy of matching players up to their strengths against weaknesses of other players, and seeing other people have success. I love watching that.

“Whether it’s at the grade school level, the high school level, the college level or the professional level, it’s my favorite thing to do.”

Q: Can you watch a game these days without managing it in your mind?

JG: “It’s hard for me to do it because it’s just part of my makeup. And when I broadcast I kind of give a flavor of what a manager is thinking because it’s what I’ve been doing a lot lately. I managed 11 years out of the last 14, sometimes it’s hard for me to go to high school games and watch what goes on in them. So, it’s hard for me to do.”

Q: Is there enough action broadcasting games to satisfy you?

JG: “I really like TV, but I like managing more. TV is something I always thought that I’d like to do when I was completely done. In between jobs I’ve done it. I did it between 2006 and 2008, I’m doing it now and I will continue to do it and hopefully I will get another chance.”

CLOSE

Former Yankees player and manager Joe Girardi, on his first visit to Binghamton for Monday's Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame Dinner.
Kevin Stevens, Press Connects

Q: What do you think about the 2019 Yankees?

JG: “I think they’re in a really good position to make a long run here of being really good. Great young players, very deep. You think about all the injuries they’ve sustained, they’re still better than most teams— and they’re missing the core of their lineup. They’re missing their ace, they’re missing their eighth-inning guy, maybe a fifth starter in Jordan Montgomery, and they’re still better than most, that’s how much talent they have.

“I think they’re in a really good position.”

Q: How about the inordinate number of injuries in baseball, specifically side injuries, pulled muscles?

JG: “Sometimes I think when you start hearing about ribcage muscles I think a lot of time it happens due to fatigue. Players take so many swings today. I think more often than not they take too many. They’ll go to the ballpark, they’ll work in the cage, they’ll come back out and take BP, they’ll go back in the cage before the game and then they have the game.

“I think at times they physically wear down, with the schedule they keep, getting in late at night, road trips getting in late, I think sometimes it’s hard. I also think with the power of players, the arm speed, I think there are more injuries to pitchers because the arm speed is so great. And guys have gotten so big.”

“Opening day when I was a rookie with the Chicago Cubs because I dreamed about playing for the Chicago Cubs. From the time I was a little boy I watched Cubs games with my father, we all went to the ballpark. I wrote an essay in third grade that I was going to play with the Chicago Cubs. I ended up getting a chance to do that and on opening day I got engaged to my wife, Kim. We’ve been married almost 30 years. That was pretty special.

“And then I think winning the first World Series was special for me. Those are things you dream about as a little kid. As a little kid, you never dream about being a manager, because I don’t think we ever think beyond 30 years old as a young person. So, winning that first World Series was special.”

Q: More satisfying winning a World Series as a player or manager?

JG: “I think as a manager. I think it’s more satisfying because of all that you do and all that you’re responsible for.

“What’s really special is getting to watch 25, and sometimes there are extra players there, your coaches, celebrate. They act like little kids. And there’re something really special about that that you feel really good about. So for me, it was probably more enjoyable for me winning one as a manager.”

Q: Second-favorite sport?

JG: “Baseball is my second-favorite sport. Football is what I love the most, that was my passion as a young person.”

Lynette Wales, of Millerton, Pa., hoists her 2-year-old grandson, Jacob Wales, of Horseheads, up to the counter at Fair Shake Ice Cream in Pine City to choose from more than 40 ice cream flavors in 2015. File photo